DDAS Visit to the Old Royal Observatory in Greenwich - Saturday 28th February 2015

Report by Mike Lancaster

On Saturday, 28th February 2015 the DDAS visited the Old Royal Observatory in Greenwich. The trip by coach from Derby was organised by DDAS member Brian Dodson and our visit fell close to the 340th anniversary of the appointment of Derbyshire born John Flamsteed as the first Astronomer Royal on the 4th March 1675. We were met by Eddie Yeadon from the Flamsteed Society and given a series of short talks on John Flamsteed and the founding of the observatory. I was delighted to be able to give the first of these talks about Flamsteed's early life in Derby and up to his appointment as Astronomer Royal. Eddie and a couple of his colleagues from the Flamsteed Society followed up with talks on the observatory and instruments that Flamsteed used and the observations he made.

We were then split into two groups and given a guided tour of the observatory. My group was led by Flamsteed Society member and observatory tour guide David Wescott who showed us around Flamsteed House and the beautiful Octagon Room, where we saw the Tompion clocks that Flamsteed used. David then took us into the Meridian Building and explained the workings and history behind the various quadrants and telescopes there. This was followed by a visit to the Great Equatorial Telescope inside the Onion Dome and finally a tour of various exhibits charting the history of time keeping which was David's area of expertise. Our time at the observatory concluded with a showing of the 'Dark Universe' presentation in the planetarium, narrated by award-winning astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Our thanks go to the Flamsteed Society for making our day so special, to the Royal Observatory Greenwich and to DDAS member Brian Dodson for organising our visit.

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The DDAS visit group. Our hosts for the day, Eddie Yeadon (red tie) and David Wescott from the Flamsteed Society, are at far right on the back row. Image Copyright: Ian Bennett

I give a short talk on Flamsteed's early life in Derby. Image Copyright: Ian Bennett

Members of our group outside the Old Royal Greenwich Observatory. Image Copyright: Bill Miles

Flamsteed House. Image Copyright: Mike Dumelow

Outside the Octagon Room. Image Copyright: Mike Lancaster

A mural quadrant in the Octagon Room. Image Copyright: Ian Bennett

A refractor of the type used in Flamsteed's day in the Octagon Room. In practice the Octagon Room was never used as an observatory itself, all of Flamsteed's actual observations taking place in an adjacent set of facilities. Image Copyright: Bill Miles

A mural quadrant in the Octagon Room. Image Copyright: Ian Bennett

Members of our group in the Octagon Room. Image Copyright: Ian Bennett

Where did you get that hat? Image Copyright: Mike Dumelow

The Tompion Clocks. Image Copyright: Ian Bennett

One of the Tompion Clocks. Image Copyright: Bill Miles

Detail of a Tompion Clock mechanism. Image Copyright: Ian Bennett

Detail of a Tompion Clock mechanism. Image Copyright: Mike Dumelow

Eddie Yeadon from the Flamsteed Society showing some of our members around. Image Copyright: Tony Barker

David Wescott from the Flamsteed Society next to Halley's 8 foot mural quadrant in the Meridian Building. Image Copyright: Ian Bennett

Edward Troughton's 10-foot transit telescope on the Bradley Meridian, which was used as the Prime Meridian for the observatory until December 1850. Image Copyright: Tony Barker

In 1824 a granite obelisk was erected at Chingford, Essex, some eleven miles to the north of the Royal Observatory. This was used to calibrate the transit telescope on the Bradley Meridian. The obelisk is the taller of the two edifices in this picture taken by Mike Dumelow on his way to join us on the day. Image Copyright: Mike Dumelow

Detail of the plaque on the granite calibration obelisk at Chingford, Essex. Image Copyright: Mike Dumelow

The Prime Meridian as currently recognised. Image Copyright: Tony Barker

The Onion Dome of the Great Equatorial Telescope. Image Copyright: Tony Barker

The Great Equatorial Telescope. Image Copyright: Tony Barker

The Great Equatorial Telescope. Image Copyright: Tony Barker

Viewing the Great Equatorial Telescope inside the Onion Dome. Image Copyright: Bill Miles

A display on Flamsteed's Well Telescope. Image Copyright: Mike Lancaster

The 19th century South Building. Note the dedication to Flamsteed. Image Copyright: Mike Dumelow

Bust of John Flamsteed on the South Building. Image Copyright: Mike Dumelow